iShould Have Known
by Frannabelle
Summary: Freddie said he'd take care of the logistics. In fact, he'd made it sound like all I had to do was show up and be sure to bring my lips. I should have known it wouldn't be that simple.
1. Chapter 1

Seddie; Post-iTwins and veering into AR from there.

**Summary**: Freddie said he'd take care of the logistics. In fact, he'd made it sound like all I had to do was show up and be sure to bring my lips. I should have known it wouldn't be that simple.

**Disclaimer**: I own none of these characters. Really. It's true.

**iShould Have Known**

Chapter 1

This was a bad idea from the start. I don't know why I agreed to go through with it.

"_We should stop."_

"_No...no, no. We're still good."_

He'd been pestering me for the last week. The first time was after an iCarly rehearsal after Carly'd left the studio to get us some snacks. The second time was after Science just after she'd stayed behind to talk to Mr. Henning about doing some extra credit. There were three other similar confrontations, and each time he'd caught me alone.

"C'mon, Sam. I'll pay you."

He'd made a decent presentation of it, I have to admit. It made the perfect sense at the time.

"I really think she likes me, and I want to make a good impression."

"So, what does that have to do with me?"

"You're the only girl I've ever kissed."

"So you want to pay me to practice kissing with you so that you can impress Tanya Michaels?"

"It would be just like acting. You act on iCarly all the time. C'mon, Sam."

"Why would you think I'd ever agree to kissing you again? We swore - "

"You went so far as to kiss me on our 'date' when you were pretending to be 'Melanie'! Besides, I told you, I'll give you three hundred dollars."

"You really like her that much?"

"I don't know. She seems to like me. And some of the kids who've gotten to know her say she's kinda 'experienced'."

He wasn't the type to slack off. When Freddie Benson put his mind to doing something, he really tried his hardest, and I guess he got this from his mother - he was always prepared. He'd had that serious and pleading look on his face. And, at the time, I thought maybe I was the one taking advantage of his desperation. That was my mistake. And, he'd had the money right then and there. The three hundred dollar bills that are burning the whole through my back pocket right now.

"_Freddie - "_

"_Sam, please don't back out on me. I'm really counting on you for this."_

We'd agreed that it would be too risky to practice anywhere on Ridgeway grounds. And, all of our other regular hangouts, like the Groovy Smoothie, Woodley Park, and the mall, were similarly out of the question. So of course, the only appropriate place left was the fire escape. We had to find a time when Carly, Spencer, or Mrs. Benson were least likely to catch us; but they were only three people, and their whereabouts were easy to track. Freddie said he'd take care of the logistics. In fact, he'd made it sound like all I had to do was show up and be sure to bring my lips. I should have known it wouldn't be that simple.

"So, how exactly do you want to do this?" I asked feigning disinterest.

"Well...I was thinking that we could try it a few different ways. I mean, most likely it'll happen when I take her home after our date; but it could happen before, either when we're walking or sitting somewhere. I'm meeting her at Skybucks and then taking her to B. F. Wang's at the Westwood Mall, so we might do some walking around after." Despite having a plan all laid out, his uncertainty about the whole thing was evident. He shrugged, "I don't know."

"The Cashew Chicken there is really good," I said nodding favorably at his choice of dinner venue. I can be supportive.

"Yeeeaah."

"Okay, so we need to practice kissing both standing up and sitting down?"

"Right."

"Ugh. Why don't you just ask me to eat dog food out of a bowl?"

"Listen, if I could ask anyone else, I would. But there isn't anyone else. There's just you, Sam. And anyway, I know at least you're the most likely to be honest with me about whether it's good or...suckish."

I stared at him. I realized after a few seconds that I was still staring. He was genuinely frustrated, and as amusing as I usually find him in that state, I kinda felt bad for the kid. That was my second mistake. "Aw, fine," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand.

"Fine?"

"Yeah. C'mon and lean over before I change my mind."

So here we are. Freddie's hands are on my waist, and mine are holding lightly onto his upper arms. I have my back against the wall next to the hallway window. So far we've only been giving each other experimental pecks on the lips. It's awkward – not so much his technique - but the way we're going about this whole thing. Why am I even doing this? I mean, why am I helping him to impress this girl who isn't even my friend? Okay, so _he's_ my friend..._sorta_. And, he's paying me. This, by the way, does actually make me feel strangely icky. But anyway, I've already decided to use the money towards buying some more costumes and props to use on iCarly, so that's that. But, this just doesn't feel right. I think he can sense that I have reservations because he keeps pausing between kisses to look into my eyes. Like he's asking permission to go on, or more likely, wondering if I'm gonna change my mind and start whaling on him. I don't say anything. For some reason, I'm actually afraid to. So, he continues, trying to deepen the kisses – I have to say, the boy's determined.

"Am I...uh…doing it wrong?"

"No, it's...its fine."

"You seem...Do you wanna stop?" Freddie asked, his question heavily laced with concern.

"No. Let's just get this over with," I answered. It sounded a little more blasé than how I'd thought it in my head, and I regretted it the moment the words came out of my mouth.

"Then, can I..."

"What?"

"Well...should we try..." he began. I could tell he was uncomfortable with how to phrase it out loud, and of course, I knew exactly what he was thinking to say.

"…Using our tongues?" I supplied.

"You're gonna throw me over the side of the fire escape now, aren't you?"

"Freddie - "

"Sam, please don't back out on me. I'm really counting on you for this."

I rolled my eyes and said, "Alright."

"Alright?"

"Just do what you're gonna do already."

So, he does. Freddie takes a deep breath. It isn't until a good ten seconds or so have passed after his lips are pressed against mine that I realize I've been holding mine. I gasp for air, and he takes the opportunity to slip in. I feel his tongue tentatively exploring my mouth. Gently tasting my tongue, my lips. I feel his hands tighten around my waist. He really is determined. And, surprisingly, not at all suckish. I'm hesitant. I'm nervous. I'm totally off my game. Freddie starts to lean closer. His thighs are pressing against mine now, as are other parts, and I'm acutely aware of where every part of his body is connected to mine. This is so not okay. I feel his hands travel slowly up my back under my shirt, his fingertips precariously placed beneath my bra clasp. He pulls me into his arms a little more and I briefly consider pushing him away, but I don't. I'm just gonna let this play out. A few more kisses, and we'll be done with this whole thing, and we can go back to being whatever we were before. Just like we did the other time. He'll have all the practice he needs to sweep Tanya off her feet. And, I can go back to...just...being me. So why is my heart beating so fast? Why has our breathing grown ragged? And, why is his right hand now up along my side, his thumb gently stroking the spot just under my left breast? His lips leave mine and start to trail kisses down my neck. Does he really want this? Because, I'm starting to want this. Not because he asked, not for the money, definitely not as any favor to Tanya, but for me. I'm starting to want these kisses, Freddie's kisses, just for me. _Stupid teenage hormones._

"Maybe we should stop."

"No...no, no. We're still good."

"Freddie -"

"Sam."

It was the way he'd said, "_Sam_." He might as well have said, "_I want you now_." I mean, I could tell he was...aroused. I could just tell, okay? And, I knew it was because he was touching and kissing me. And, I wanted those kisses even more. I felt like they belonged to me; I'd earned them, and me being me, I was gonna have them. I sighed heavily and tilted my head back against the wall, savoring the feeling of his mouth against my neck and shoulder. His breath was hot, and coming out in quick bursts against my skin. I felt his thumb begin to ease its way under the wire of my bra cup, and that's when I lost my mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_I don't wanna go out with Tanya anymore. I don't wanna go out with Tanya._

That's all I could think of while we were standing there…kissing. I don't know why those words kept floating through my head. Before we started, it was all I wanted. Well, okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. But, it was what I'd been looking forward to for the last couple of weeks; and, it took a whole one of those weeks just to convince Sam to help me. I thought it would be simple. I thought it made sense. Boy, was I wrong.

"_No…no, no. We're still good."_

I didn't want to stop. I just wanted to keep kissing her. Kissing Sam. At first it was awkward, weird even. She was okay with it, though…I was pretty sure of it. She didn't push me away; she didn't make any grossed-out faces, or anything. It felt like she liked it.

I kept checking her eyes, making sure I wasn't hurting her or pushing things too far. What I saw there looked like uncertainty, which was the weird part, because it was Sam. Still, like I said, she didn't push me away. She was letting me kiss her, letting me hold her close. And, I'd never held anyone that close before. I could feel her breath against my ear, blowing through my hair. I could feel _her_. She had to have known the effect she was having on me. I wanted to make it last - keep my hold on her. It made me a little bold, and maybe I got a little carried away. Almost of their own accord, I realized my fingers were inching their way up under her shirt. And, she still didn't stop me. It was a rush, a heady rush. Thankfully, I had enough restraint to keep them from sweeping over parts…and…unclasping hooks.

Maybe it was just a teenage boy thing. Stupid hormones. I was practicing kissing with Sam-freaking-Puckett and I was enjoying it. She was enjoying it, too...I think. And, _then_…she wasn't.

* * *

His breath was hot, and coming out in quick bursts against my skin. I felt his thumb begin to ease its way under the wire of my bra cup, and that's when I lost my mind.

"So..." I breathed out unsteadily, "is this...what you're gonna do...with Tanya?"

"What?" Freddie asked from the crook of my neck.

I pulled away from him, causing him to slightly release me from his grasp. He gingerly removed his hand from underneath my shirt, and I continued, "Tanya. Are you gonna kiss her like this? Touch her, too?"

"Sam. Um. Sam, I..." he stammered, confusion clearly shown on his face.

"Don't worry," I said, pushing him completely off of me and out of my way. "It was good...for a dork."

"Are you upset?"

"Upset?" I asked with a shrug of my chin. "Why would I be upset?"

"Sam, I...I didn't mean to -"

"Listen, I think we're done here." I gave a light pat to my back pocket and continued, "I've got my money, you've got the skills." I eased my way to the side, closer to the window, and said, "So, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go get me some meatballs." How's that for blasé?

"Wait. Sam? Don't leave like this."

"There's nothing else to it, Freddo," I said as I stepped over the window sill. My legs straddled the sill as I turned to continue, "Our business transaction is complete. I hope Tanya appreciates all your hard work." With that, I smacked the side of the wall hard with my open right hand and finished climbing over.

"I don't think I wanna go out with Tanya anymore," I heard him whisper.

I stopped in the hallway, still near the window, but didn't turn around. "Gee, that's too bad for her then. Maybe you're thinking of trying to hit Carly up again? You know what I think about that –" I turned then to punctuate my point, "she'll never love you."

"No, I...I don't want Carly either."

"Well, you know, Freddie, a tech weenie like you can't be too picky."

"Sam, if what we did here's hurt your feelings," he began, gesturing with his arms sweeping over the fire escape, "then...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I'm not even sure how -" Freddie looked back over the fire escape and ran a hand through his hair.

"Get this straight, Fredward: nothing you do could ever hurt me. 'Cause that would imply that I care. And, I. Don't. Care."

Unable to bear listening to his voice and looking at him anymore, I finally left. I realized that a few mere minutes ago that was all going so differently and maybe I'd ruined it. But, as he was holding me, seemingly enjoying me, I also realized that I couldn't be a consolation prize. Maybe I'll be alone for the rest of my life, but at least I'll have my dignity.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Hey," Carly said. She'd just arrived at our lockers and began turning the knob for her combination. "What's going on with you and Freddie?"

"Pfft. There's nothing between Freddie and me." I wasn't really answering the question she'd asked. I knew she meant where we've been, or at least I figured that's what she was asking about me; apparently, Fredlumps hasn't been brave enough to show at our regularly-scheduled meetings either. I didn't look at Carly; I kept my face hidden between my locker and the books I was placing in my backpack.

"Well then, why haven't you returned any of my texts? And, how come neither of you have shown up at our table for lunch the last two days, and for iCarly idea-brainstorming at the library yesterday? Not to mention, this is the first time I've seen you at your locker since yesterday morning. And, even then, you left in a rush."

"I don't know where the nerd's been," I shrugged, "but I've had other stuff going on."

Carly turned to face me, confusion shown in her scrunched up forehead and brow. "What 'other stuff'? I know _all_ of your stuff. What _stuff_ would you have that's 'other'?"

I zipped up my bag and started to leave. "Sorry, Carls. I promise I'll make it to rehearsal today after school, okay?" I called over my shoulder.

"Alright," she said. I could hear the dissatisfaction with our brief conversation in her voice. "If you see him, will you make sure he shows up, too?" she yelled after me.

"Sure, Carls," I answered from down the hall. "If I see him."

Unfortunately, I would be seeing him. Freddie and I had Gym Class together.

I was already sitting on the bleachers when he came in. He scanned the gym, and when he found me, he immediately made eye-contact. Freddie walked determinedly towards me. Confrontation was inevitable.

"Fredhead," I said simply. Now that he was here, and I could verbally communicate with him, I broke off our visual connection.

"Listen, Sam, we need to talk."

"We don't talk, Dishrag. I glare," I said, looking back down at him from the bleachers, "and you cower."

"Sam, I'm serious."

"So am I," I said evenly.

"Sam, I mean it." Freddie looked around, and whispered, "We need to talk about the other day."

"There's nothing you could say that would matter to me."

"I'm trying to apologize to you," he said gently.

"What?"

"I know I hurt your feelings the other day. I haven't quite worked out how exactly, but I know I did." He looked down at his feet, and continued more softly, "And, I've been feeling really sick over it. I haven't been sleeping well."

"And I should care, why?" I went for vague disinterest sans sarcasm.

"Because, I'm really sorry. I don't want you to be upset with me anymore – and, not because I don't want to end up in the hospital – but, because I don't want to ruin our…friendship. It really means a lot to me. Honest."

"So you still want to be friends?" My eyes narrowed. I focused all my attention on his face, ready to pounce the moment his expression, or answer, wasn't to my liking.

"Yeah. Of course I do," he said hopefully. "You and Carly are like my best friends. And, I wouldn't want iCarly to suffer, either."

"No, of course you wouldn't," I said with a roll of my eyes.

Did I mention Tanya Michaels is in our class? No? She came into the gymnasium just then, and I don't know what came over me. I watched her walk over to her friends, all of them smiling at each other, at her. Blech. I looked back at Freddie, who hadn't realized yet that she was there.

"So, are we okay?"

I really, really don't know what came over me. It felt like...like the ride down in the elevator when Carly, Melanie, and I were heading to the mall...

"No. We're not," I answered flatly.

And, we weren't. I wasn't anyway. Freddie was right, something happened between us the other day, and I wasn't quite sure yet how I felt about it, let alone able to talk about it. What was worse was that I couldn't tell how Freddie felt about it. He seemed to be upset about _me_ being upset, but I couldn't tell for sure what _he_ thought about the rest. And, I certainly wasn't going to engage in a conversation with him about it unarmed.

* * *

After arriving at school just short of late, and not finding Carly or Sam at their lockers, I headed off to my first class. I was so tired. I hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. All I could think about was what happened with Sam.

Maybe it was a stupid idea to even think of asking her to practice kissing with me. I should have known something like that - with Sam - wouldn't end well.

First of all, why did I think it wouldn't matter? That we, Sam and I, could do that and it not mean anything. _Everything between us always meant something. _I know we went back to being the way we were before the last time, but maybe we really didn't, and I just hadn't realized it then. Not to mention, what we did this time - _what I did_ - was way more than we did before, way more than I'd ever done. And, God, it felt _good_. Plain and simple, I wanted Sam. I don't want to say I lusted after her, that's a little too crude for what it really was, or is now; but, now I can't get it out of my head. Any of it. Not the verbal abuse, not the physical torture, not the mental stress she's put me through in the past; and, definitely not the memory of holding her, the heat radiating off her body burning me up, the smell of her hair, the feel of her skin against my fingertips, or the taste of her mouth, feeling her lips press against mine. And I couldn't have imagined it, I'm sure she was enjoying every bit of it as much as I was. The way she breathed, her head eased back against the wall so that she bore her neck to me. I wanted to kiss every part; and, how she sighed... I didn't imagine that. She was there with me, _me_. I felt her. I know Sam, and I know she wanted me too - as far-fetched as that might sound under normal circumstances. But, when she stopped...remembering that makes me sick. Violently ill. Even now, I'm slightly nauseated at the implications of what her leaving suddenly, so upset, means. I paid her. Ugh, why did I think _that_ would be okay? And, what about Tanya? My excuse for starting all this. What Sam must think of me.

I found her at Gym Class. It didn't go well. I tried to apologize, but she wouldn't have it, and I guess I shouldn't blame her.

She came down off the bleachers, and made her way over to where the other students were lining up for class. "Sam -"

"By the way," she said over her shoulder, "Carly wants you over for iCarly rehearsal after school today."

That was the last thing she said to me the rest of the day.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After school, I walked home by myself. I needed time to think. Sam had said that Carly would be expecting me. I was going to have to tell Carly what happened, and I was positive that I wasn't ready for that. Carly was probably going to be expecting Sam, too, but I had a very strong suspicion that she wouldn't be coming.

I got back to Bushwell, stopped at my apartment to drop off my stuff, and headed over to see Carly.

"Hey," I said as the elevator door rose to reveal me. I stepped off and entered the studio. Carly had been arranging some props over by the car, but stopped as the elevator dinged to indicate the doors were opening. She came towards me looking a little annoyed.

"Hey," Carly answered, peering behind me, "Sam isn't with you?"

"No. Um, listen, Carly. I did something really stupid." Carly looked at me expectantly as I tried to rub the clamminess off my hands and onto my pants.

"Did you do something to Sam?" she asked in an accusing tone. "Is that why you two've been avoiding each other? You didn't replace her Low-fat Fat Cakes with pink sugar-coated Styrofoam again did you?"

"No, worse."

"Worse than that time you handed in that computer program with her name on it, and Mr. Wimbley was so impressed that he made her get up and try to teach it to the whole class?"

"Yeah."

"Well, what did you do?"

"I…Well…I asked her to practice kissing with me."

"You wanted to practice kissing with Sam? Why would you want to practice kissing with Sam? You hate Sam." Carly came towards me, and started walking around me. She looked me up and down as she orbited me, inspecting me. It made me uncomfortable, like the way I feel when my mom checks me for ticks. "You know, you look okay on the outside – no visible bruising," she said. "Could there be internal bleeding – where did she hit you?"

"Carly," I said frustrated, "she didn't hit me. She actually went along with it."

"What?"

"Well," I began with a shrug, "I paid her three hundred dollars."

"What?"

"I wanted to impress Tanya Michaels with my experienced kissing ability. And, I asked Sam to practice kissing with me because she's the only girl I - I - could...ask...because, you know, you'd say no...But, now Sam's upset over it. I think I hurt her feelings while we were kissing, I'm not sure. Maybe I went too far."

"Wait. Sam helped you practice kissing so that you could impress Tanya Michaels because you paid her to, and you think you hurt her feelings because you went too far? What do you mean by 'went too far'?"

"Well..."

"Wait," she said, putting her hand up to stop me from continuing.  
"Where did you get three hundred dollars from?"

"Okay," I began, a little exasperated, "which question do you want answered first?" I gave her a sour smile.

"Sorry. The first one."

"Well, I feel kinda _uncomfortable_ telling you exactly." It was embarrassing, after all, and this was _Carly_ I was talking to. Up until _very_ recently, I thought for sure she was my Helen of Troy, the girl I'd go to war for, the one for whose love I'd do anything to gain. I should have known that that was just a pipe dream. And, I should have listened to Sam - Carly would never love me. I stood there, and within those few milliseconds, I realized that Sam and I had been 'intimate' - more even, and I was about to tell Carly about it. And, that I didn't love Carly anymore.

"Tough kumquats! I can't keep you out of the hospital if you don't tell me exactly what you did with Sam!"

"Okay!" I turned away from Carly, unable to tell my story with her _looking_ at me. I paced in front of the computer cart, took a deep breath, and continued, "I may have tried _touching_ her a little while we were kissing."

"Touching her…like…where?" confusion marred her face. I was pretty sure she was conjuring up mental images that I would have preferred she didn't.

"On the fire escape."

"Not 'where'!" she yelled. Carly started gesturing up and down the front of her body with her hands, pausing awkwardly and circling dramatically over her chest and groin. "Where?"

"Oh...Well...under her shirt. But, Carly, I didn't plan-"

"Oh, _my_ God! Freddie," she yelled, Carly's arms were crossed over her chest and her hands cupping her breasts protectively, "are you _insane_?"

Telling her all this was really weird. "Well, at first I thought we could just try different positions, you know? Then, it started to feel like we could try other things. I mean, it started to feel...It felt..."

"What?"

"Good, okay? It started to feel good. The kissing and touching. And, I don't know, I thought Sam was okay with it. I mean, she wasn't shoving me away, or anything. And, she was kissing back. But, then she wasn't. She started asking me about Tanya. Was I gonna touch Tanya, too. That sort of thing." Telling Carly all this wasn't just really weird, it made the whole thing seem…_tawdry_. Only, I didn't feel like that when I was with Sam. It felt physically good, sure, but not just that; it also felt…_right_. Talking about it this way, though - with Carly – didn't make it right. _This is why - this is why I agreed before never to speak of our first kiss again._

"Oh, I get it now."

"You do?" I was momentarily relieved.

"Yeah, you're not insane." And then, her voice raised an octave, and a couple of decibels. "You're an idiot!"

"What?"

"You're an idiot! First you try to pay Sam to kiss you like she's some kind of...some kind of…some – I can't say it; Spencer says it's not lady-like. Then you start doing 'other stuff', and you think she was into it – of course she was into it – ugh! Then she reminds you that you're supposed to be interested in Tanya, and you can't figure out how you hurt her feelings?"

"I'm sorry?"

Carly grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me once, pushing me away, but not letting go. "Freddie, you used her!" She let go, and stepped back, and looked at me with a strange kind of wonder. "And, you lived….Wow." Her eyes hardened suddenly and she pointed her right index finger about an inch away from my face. "You need to apologize! Pronto!"

"I tried, Carly. But, she wouldn't accept my apology."

"Tell me what you said…exactly."

I told her everything. Well...not _totally_ everything. But, I told her what she wanted to know. She assured me that she'd intervene on my behalf, but I wasn't sure that I wanted her to do that. I mean I wanted things to be smoothed out with Sam, but I felt like Carly was trying to take over and fight my battles for me. She was beginning to remind me more and more of my mom.

Carly made me promise to try to apologize to Sam again - which I'd already planned to do - but, only _after_ she'd gotten a chance to talk to her. Despite my discomfort with that, I supposed it made sense for her to talk to Sam to gauge her reaction and detect the best way for me to ultimately fix this. But, I kept having this nagging feeling that this really ought to just be between Sam and me. And, that's when it occured to me that I wanted there to be a 'Sam and me'.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Hey." Carly appeared from around the corner and approached me at our lockers in this delicate way. Her hair hung down along the sides of her face, but it didn't hide that sheepish look she was wearing. If I were to look down at her feet, I half expected to see her walking on egg shells.

"He told you?" I guessed. Shaking my head in anger, I said, "I'm gonna kill him!" I hurriedly brushed past her almost knocking her back against the wall and headed around the corner towards Freddie's locker.

"Wait! Sam, stop!" Carly yelled. She caught up to me and grabbed at my arm to pull me back.

"Sam, Freddie's really sorry." She had a pleading look in her eyes, but I wasn't about to fall for it.

"Ohhh, he's gonna be sorry!" I yelled back. I tried shaking her off with a rough shrug of my shoulder.

"C'mon, Sam. Seriously."

Carly had gotten a tight hold of my arm. She wasn't strong enough to really hold me back; I mean, if I was really determined to go after Freddie, or anyone else for that matter. There was this one time that we were heading towards the cafeteria for lunch, when I had thought I'd overheard a couple of guys talking about the lunch ladies serving some new bacon-flavored Jell-O. Carly was positive that I'd heard them wrong. I didn't care. She tried to talk some sense into me; well, she yelled after me, anyway. But I raced to the cafeteria at full speed, and I took out four students and a paraprofessional in my wake. It was a sight to behold, honestly. But, Carly was right – then, as well as this time. It turned out that some senior had dared some sophomores to add Bacon Bits to the Jell-O mix that morning before it had solidified. It wasn't new, and actually, it was surprisingly not very good. The Jell-O made the Bacon Bits soggy. I prefer my bacon-flavored…anything…crispy. So what was I really gonna do if I caught up with Freddie anyway? He didn't do anything to me that I wasn't already letting him do. He'd asked…and paid, after all. And…I'd liked it. "Fine."

Carly looked at me hesitantly. "You're not gonna hurt him, right?" She gave me a sideways glance, eyed me up and down; I could tell she was trying to read my facial expressions, see if she could feel even the slightest tension in my arm muscles.

"No," I sighed and threw my body (still connected to Carly by her hold on my arm) roughly against the lockers in general defeat. Carly 1 – Sam 0.

"Promise?"

"Ugh, Carly!" _Couldn't she give me even the slightest break?_

"Promise!" _Obviously not._

"Fiiine!"

"Fine, what?" she asked, and I could hear the smugness in her voice. It was nauseating.

"Fine: I won't hurt the dweeb." I finally shook my arm out of her grasp and immediately pointed my right index finger in her face in warning, "Don't even think about making me ankle-swear."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Carly dead-panned. She turned back towards our lockers and dialed the combination to her lock. She pulled open the locker door and reached in for a few books for her next couple of classes. I leaned with my back against the wall waiting for Carly to finish collecting all her things. Carly turned her head to look at me. Her eyes lowered to my folded arms and then back up to look at my face. I could feel the disapproval coming off of her in waves.

"What?" I asked, but I knew what Carly was thinking.

"Don't you think you should at least bring a piece of paper…and maybe…a pen to class?" she asked sarcastically.

I shook my head questioningly, shrugged my chin, and asked, "Why?"

Carly blinked twice before saying, "Of course not." She lightly slammed the door of her locker and turned to walk across the hall with me. Adjusting the strap of her purse over her right shoulder, she said, "Okay, don't get mad…."

I only hesitated for half a second. The pause in my steps should've gone unnoticed by Carly, but I noticed that she clutched her books tighter and didn't bounce her next step the way she usually does when she walks. "Get mad about what?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"I think you and Freddie need to make up."

"Oh, c'mon!" I yelled. Carly was lucky I wasn't carrying any books because I would have thrown them at her…or a pen…I might have stabbed the nearest nerd with it. I completely stopped in my tracks and stared at her. "I already promised not to beat him up. Isn't that enough?"

"Sam."

"No. I'm not doing it."

"Sam. We still have to do iCarly. You guys can't work together if you aren't talking to each other."

"Oh…well, he's talking to me. I just haven't been answering."

"Sam, please talk to him. He's really sorry."

Truth be told, I'd been kinda missing the dweeb…and our banter...mostly our banter, but him too. The last time I'd really seen Freddie was when he came over to apologize to me at gym class. I was still angry, but I guess there was a part of me that wanted things to just go back to normal. I didn't let on to Carly what I was thinking. We continued on our way to class in silence. I could tell she was tense but didn't want to push the matter with me any further. I let her suffer. I decided that I had to get something out of it.


End file.
